George Weasley and the Black Magic Library
by Ponytail Goddess
Summary: The Malfoy's recruit George Weasley to help Lucius with a scheme that might endanger the magical world once again.  George agrees to help because the Malfoy's have a family secret that he needs access to...a secret that will bring the dead back to life.
1. Chapter 1: A Proposition

Hi, welcome to my new fic, _George Weasley and the Black Magic Library_! This will be my first major chapter fic under the Harry Potter category. All feedback is greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy my work!

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of the characters from the books._

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**George Weasley and the Black Magic Library**

_By Ponytail Goddess_

Chapter 1: A Proposition

"Verity…Verity!!!" George called out as he ran into the back of his shop while attempting to fan the smoke that loomed around them in huge billows. Quickly, he tore the window open in the back room so he could breathe a bit better and freshen up the shop. After taking a few deep breaths, George turned back into the office to look for his upset assistant.

He didn't have to look very hard. She was sitting in his desk chair, her head bent down in her hands. George frowned when he saw this. "Verity…I'm sorry." He said softly as he approached her and put one of his hands on her shoulder.

"I bet you are." She said bitterly, not looking up at him.

"It was accidental magic, Verity. I didn't mean to do it… After you made the comment about how you wished you had flaming red hair, I just sort of thought about how it would look if your hair was on fire, you know, flaming hair…I didn't think it would actually happen. I wasn't trying to make it happen or anything…I-"

"I can't believe you did that George!" She said angrily. "I could have been hurt! You really scared me…" She said, finally looking up to reveal tears in her eyes.

"It was accidental magic Verity." He said, now looking a bit hurt that she wasn't accepting his apology, "You can't tell me that you have never pulled some sort of stunt like that—every witch and wizard has at some point in time-"

"Do you have any scissors?" She asked, interrupting him, "I need to cut off the burnt part before I leave tonight."

"Top drawer on the right." George said, sounding defeated. He watched as she silently charmed the scissors to cut her hair chin length. They quickly went to work, shearing off the crispy black pieces so that only platinum blonde strands were left on her head. However, as he mentally started to berate himself, he turned away and stared out the window into the dark alleyway that was behind his shop, leading into Knockturn Alley.

What if he had killed her? What if she had died because of him, just like Fred?

One and a half years after the battle, George still felt terribly responsible for his brother's death. After all, it had been his idea to split up so that their cunningness would be useful in more than one place. The idea was brave and clearly had the well-being of others in mind, but still, George couldn't help but think that when he made the suggestion, he had sentenced his brother to an early grave.

He could have accidentally killed her today too… Was every person he was close to doomed?

"George?" He heard Verity's soft voice question as her hands gently gripped his upper arm. Surprised by her suddenly being so close to him, George gasped as he turned to look her.

Her clear eyes were no longer harboring anger, but instead looked a bit guilty and sad. "I'm sorry George. You didn't mean to do it…I was just upset." She said, then stared down at the ground, as if the carpet had caught her interest.

George started to say, "Verity, I-," but was interrupted by one of her small hands coming to rest on his mouth.

"I wasn't very understanding about the whole 'accidental magic' thing because I've never done any accidental magic in my entire life." She said softly, then removed her hand and placed it back on his arm with her other hand.

"Really?" George questioned, raising his eyebrow in surprise. "You know, I've heard a bit about that topic recently—I think it was in the Quibbler a few months back. Anyway, the article talked about how a few wizards were never able to create accidental magic because their power was too great to be handled without the control that a wand or something has. So, yeah…maybe it means you're a really great witch Verz."

However, Verity didn't answer as her face was contorted into one full of shock. "George," She finally said slowly, "I think you might have taken in a bit too much smoke during my hair fiasco. You just sounded like that Hermione Granger who's in here all the time…"

George's jaw nearly dropped to the ground as Verity chuckled a bit at his reaction. "Very funny, Verz. I do read on occasion…the paper isn't anything fancy!" He said, sensing her sarcasm.

"I know, I was just kidding." Verity said with a smile, then stood on her toes to give him a small peck on the cheek, which cleared up any miniscule bit of ill will that might have come between them. "I saw that article too, actually. You know, it also said that it might happen because the witch or wizard is too weak to push the magic out of their body and cannot pull it out without a vessel like a wand for assistance. I think that is the true answer—I'm not any sort of special witch; I've just got a bit of a handicap, that's all."

George snorted at this. "Handicap? Yeah right. There's nothing wrong with your magic Verz. You can do everything that I do and you've proven it by helping me create things for the shop. I suppose we'll eventually see who's right though. Just…don't go putting yourself down or anything if you think you're impaired. I think you're great and clearly, my opinion is the only one that matters around here." He said, joking at the very end, which earned him a small fake glare.

"Psh…I see how it is." She said, jokingly, then squealed a bit as he ruffled up her hair playfully. After making a crafty escape from the assault on her hair, Verity peeked out into the shop. "It looks like the smoke has cleared out fairly well. Are we reopening for the last hour of shop time?" She asked him.

George shrugged, "Yeah, why not? Go ahead and turn the displays back on and open up. I'll be out in a few minutes."

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The moment Verity activated all of the colorful displays with her wand, a crowd of children started to cluster around the door, with eyes that were just begging for her to unlock the door and let them into their personal paradise. Smiling, she gave the door a quick alohamora and the giggling bunch immediately burst through the entrance with smiles that lit up the room much better than all of the lights.

Small moments like these were what Verity lived for. They justified her work at George's shop and made her feel like she was accomplishing something here—brightening tomorrow's world by making children smile. Even though she wasn't the mastermind behind the fabulous products of the store, it still felt good just to help the kids out and watch them smile as they planned simple pranks for their peers and families.

However, her happy face suddenly became sour as she saw a familiar figure walk into the shop. Her blood suddenly ran cold. Verity had never expected to see him in here—he certainly wasn't the type who would enjoy the products of the shop or support the owner. Either way, she knew that she couldn't be seen in here, not by him.

There were some secrets that simply had to be kept.

As his head started to swivel towards her, Verity quickly ducked behind a shelf of skiving snackboxes, earning a few odd looks from the kids that were around her. Crawling on her knees, Verity speedily made her way through the crowd of children who were looking at her like she was some sort of freak, hiding behind stand after stand until she quickly darted behind the checkout counter. Here, she curled up with her back up against the counter, pulling her legs as close as she could to her body and wrapping her arms around them for security. She tucked her excessive magenta robes in as close to the counter as she could as she tried to catch her breath.

_Ding._

Verity stopped breathing. He was right behind her, on the other side of the counter—she just knew it. No longer could she hear the giddy children or the loud sounds of products being tested; all of it seemed to be drowned out by her thundering heartbeat.

"Verity, would you get that?" She vaguely heard George call from the office. She shivered at the thought. There was no way that she was going to do it. No way.

_Ding. Ding. Ding._

Clearly, he was getting impatient. Oh Merlin, surely he couldn't see her back here, could he? She certainly hoped not. Squeezing her eyes shut, Verity sat there silently, hoping that all of this was a bad dream.

However, her eyes shot back open as she heard footsteps coming from the office. George was coming! Oh no! How was she going to explain this?

George's sudden appearance at the door in front of the counter stopped all of her thoughts as her eyes widened. He looked at her curiously for a second. Verity's finger immediately went up to her lips as she motioned insanely to him to keep her presence a secret.

Immediately, he looked up and approached the desk, with a questioning look on his face directed towards the visitor. "Draco Malfoy?" He asked in a dark voice as he stopped directly in front of Verity.

Oh dear, this was getting awkward…

Doing her best to ignore George's close proximity, Verity silently listened in to their conversation. "Well, if it isn't George Weasley…the twin who lived."

Verity nearly gasped at his rudeness towards her kindly employer. Clearly, George was not left untouched by this comment either, as Verity felt him tense up against her. When she looked up, she could see that his face had contorted into a visage full of anger. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?" He whispered dangerously.

"Ah…I see you want to cut right to the chase, Weasley. I have a proposition for you…" He said, leaning over the counter dangerously, "One that can only be spoken about in private."

Verity's eyes bulged as Draco slowly started to look down towards her, but immediately had her vision blocked by George's magenta robes as stepped all the way up to the counter in order to block Malfoy's view of her. "What even makes you think that I'm going to listen to a proposition from you, Malfoy? I know a trap when I see one." He said maliciously.

"There's a good reward, Weasley. Trust me, you won't turn this down." Draco said quite confidently.

Now George laughed. "What on Earth could you possibly have that I couldn't get somewhere else?"

"Fred."

Verity gasped and then quickly put her hand over her mouth. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. What on Earth was that Malfoy playing at?!? Didn't he know that George wouldn't stand for such a thing?!?

Though George's soft voice was muffled through their magenta robes, Verity could still just barely hear him eerily whisper, "You sick bastard. If we weren't surrounded by kids right now, I would kill you."

"Good thing we're out here with the kiddies then, Weasley. I wouldn't want that." Draco said in an amused voice. He knew he had suddenly gained the upper hand here.

Suddenly, Verity was jostled as George leaned across the counter. Now she found herself painfully pinned between the counter and George's legs, feeling halfway smothered from the heavy magenta robes. "Get out of my store." She heard George whisper slowly, his patience utterly spent.

"Are you so sure that's what you want, Weasley? I think you're really intrigued, though you have a shoddy way of showing it."

"My brother is dead Malfoy-"

"Right now, yes, he is…" Malfoy hissed, "But there are ways around that. I come from a pure wizarding family, George. A wizarding family that has collected thousands of secrets over the years…"

Now, even softer than before, he whispered, "I can get your brother back."

There was a long silence that made Verity start to fidget nervously under the massive amount of robes. "Here's my card Weasley." Malfoy finally said, quite lightly. "On the back you will find a password that will get you into Malfoy Mannor tomorrow and tomorrow only. Stop by if you change your mind."

Then he was gone. Verity exhaled a sigh of relief as she heard his footsteps treading away from the counter. Finally, she heard the gargling sound of the bell on the door and relaxed as he had finally left. Quickly, Verity pulled away from George, who seemed to be rooted to the spot, staring at the door long after Malfoy was gone.

"George…George!" Verity finally said, giving him a bit of a shake, "Are you oka-"

"Hey, do you have any more belch powder?" A small girl in front of the counter suddenly asked.

At that moment, the shop came back to life again. All of the sounds and running children seemed to reappear right before Verity's eyes, though she knew they had been there the entire time.

"Oh," George said, jumping and looking helplessly at Verity before looking back down at the girl, "Yes, here, I'll go get some."

Before he went to the back though, he grabbed Verity's arm and pulled her close so that his lips were almost touching her ear. "We'll talk about this later."

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The moment the last customer walked out the door, George quickly turned off the open sign, locked the door and willfully jogged over to Verity. He looked rather troubled as he put his hands on her arms. "Verity," he demanded, having let his imagination run wild for the past hour, "Why were you hiding from Malfoy? He hasn't done anything…you know, bad to you, has he?"

"George," She started.

"Because if he has," George interrupted, "I'll get Ron and Harry to come with me and we'll-"

"George," She said, a bit louder this time.

"He has no right to just-"

"George!" She suddenly exclaimed, exasperatedly clapping a hand over his mouth, "That's not the reason!" She said rather loudly, then softened up a bit, "Look, I know and expect you to be a bit chivalrous from time to time… You're a Gryffindor; it will happen. I do appreciate your help in hiding me today too, but I don't need you to make a worst-case scenario up."

As she eased her hand off of his face, George felt himself sink a bit. "I was only trying to help, my little Hufflepuff. I know you don't want me to, but I worry about you sometimes. You don't have that many people to go to for help-"

"I do just fine George." She said softly.

"You don't have any family left to turn to, Verz…" He said gently, trying to say his opinion without making their little talk escalate into an argument.

"I do just fine." She repeated, looking him solemnly in the eye. "If you absolutely must know the truth about this matter, I'll tell you. My dad was on bad terms with the Malfoy family and thought that they might try to harm me if they got the chance. A few weeks before he died, he told me to avoid them at all costs."

"But the war is over." George said, giving her a questioning look. "They can't harm you now. There's no one to back them up."

"Yes they can George. I know how those purebloods are—they will never change their opinions about wizards and witches like us. We both know that well enough. As long as they think the way they do, none of us are safe."

George frowned at this and tenderly placed his hand on her cheek, directing her line of vision to his eyes. "Verz…you can't live your life in fear." He murmured, "What kind of life is that?"

Yanking her head away from his hand, Verity's face immediately scrunched into a look of total frustration. "George, that is totally off subject! Besides, you are the one we ought to be worrying about! Bloody hell, Malfoy is trying con you into doing something terrible!" She said quite loudly, shaking her hands for emphasis.

Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed his shoulder tightly. "George," She said, looking him straight in the eye with an intense look that he had never seen from her before, "Promise me you won't go."

When he didn't answer, her eyes got larger and her grip grew tighter. "Promise me George!" She said sternly.

How could he do that? This was an offer to get his brother back, for Merlin's sake! Even if it was Malfoy, even if it was dangerous…how could he not think about it? Wouldn't having Fred back be worth it? Of course it bloody would! George could go back to normal if Fred was there. He'd have someone to finish his sentences, to know what he was talking about without him having to explain an idea in-depth, even just someone to hear snoring across the room from him. It was simple things that George missed the most…not the really special moments.

Looking back, the simple moments seemed to be the most special of all now.

"I can't make that promise, Verz." He finally said, looking away from her while he said it. It was as though there was something especially exciting on the floor because he could not seem to take his eyes off it.

Verity was silent for a while. A great field of tension separated them, despite how close they were physically. "You don't actually believe that load of poo he told you…do you?" She asked softly.

George closed his eyes and searched for the right thing to say so that she wouldn't be angry with him. "I don't know what to believe… Chances are high that he's trying to con me into something, but Verity, what if he isn't? What if it's real?" He asked, whispering the last part that was dripping with false hope.

"Okay…" She said placidly, obviously trying to be patient with him, "So let's say Malfoy's telling the truth. Let's say he can really…bring Fred back like he says." She said, pausing as she started to pace around the room. "The Malfoy's won't do something like that for free George. If he grants you a miracle, he's going to need you to move mountains for him first! Nothing comes for free George. You could loose more than you gain!"

This made George snap. "Are you saying that Fred isn't worth a little bit of sacrifice?! I need him Verz! We both know it—I'm doing a terrible job managing the shop without him! I need him!" He yelled, then immediately regretted it when he saw Verity's tearstained face.

He shook his head, annoyed with himself for hurting her. He really did like having her around—it was a comfort to know that she was the one thing that hadn't changed after the war. She was still there and now closer to him because of it.

"I'm sorry Verz." He said softly as he hesitantly reached out and offered her a hug. She quietly accepted, nuzzling her head into his shoulder while she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I-I just want him back." He stammered as he put his arms around her.

"I know George," She whispered into his chest. "This whole thing just doesn't make sense. I mean, your families are enemies; it doesn't make sense that he would come to you for help. It doesn't make sense that he'd want to help you out."

"You're right." He mumbled, closing his eyes as he stroked her short, platinum blonde tresses to comfort her. "I shouldn't go tomorrow. It isn't safe."

He felt her sigh with relief against him. "I'm sorry if I hurt you George. I care about you though and I don't want you to be doing something that's unsafe."

"I know." He said as he pulled away from her, a small smile adorning his freckled face. "Thanks Verity. I promise I won't go."

However, when George went to bed that night, he couldn't sleep a wink because the possibility of getting Fred back was plaguing his thoughts.

He had to do it.

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Woohoo, there's my first chapter! Please let me know what you think! Have a great Thanksgiving!

-P.G.


	2. Chapter 2: Sealing the Deal

Hi, welcome back to George Weasley and the Black Magic Library! Thanks to those who reviewed the first chapter. I'm glad that you're taking an interest in my idea. I'd like to apologize for being so terribly slow at updating, but I'm very busy with college homework almost all of the time, so expect updates to be a little on the slow side. No worries though—I won't forget about the fic!

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Harry Potter series._

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**George Weasley and the Black Magic Library**

_By Ponytail Goddess_

Chapter 2: Sealing the Deal

With a loud pop, George appeared in a park that his mum had taken them to during their childhood. Immediately, George started walking until he found himself right in front of a set of menacing metal gates. The gothic gates were much taller than him and had a fancy metal "M" contained in a circle right in the center of the gates.

"Surely this is it…" George thought to himself as he looked at the dreary mansion far beyond the gates, surrounded by some well-placed trees and shrubbery.

Malfoy Manor.

Verity was going to kill him.

With virtually no notice at all, George had gotten Ron to cover for him at the shop with the excuse of needing to search for some supplies to start inventing goods for the up-and-coming anniversary of Voldemort's death. His brother had bought it and came right in after George promised him that he could have the next day off instead. George had this whole thing in the bag, as long as Verity didn't tell Ron what George was really up to… Ron would go bonkers if he found out where George was really going to spend the day.

However, this was a chance to get Fred back. George's Fred. Freddie. His _twin_. No matter how much George tried to act like he was moving on, he simply couldn't…not without Fred. If there was any chance, any chance at all that Malfoy could bring Fred back…well, George wouldn't be able to live with himself if he missed his opportunity. No matter what the cost, if there was a way to get Fred back, George would take it…even if it meant loosing everything else.

And if Malfoy was lying to him, there would be hell to pay.

Looking at the gates, George found that he wasn't sure how to enter in. Gingerly, he reached out and touched the center of the gate, hoping that it might just push open. However, from that mere touch, a great power erupted from the circle, sending an olive-colored gas into the air that nearly choked George.

Coughing up the nasty fumes, George almost didn't notice the word that the menacing smoke formed into.

_Password?_

"Bloody hell…" George thought to himself as grabbed his wallet out of his pant pocket and pulled out the card the Draco had given him yesterday. Flipping it over, George gasped and dropped the thing as if it had burnt him.

So, they wanted to mess with him…well, he'd show them. Trying to control his anger, George said the password.

"Fredrick Gideon Weasley."

Immediately, the olive gas dissipated into thin air, as if it had never existed. However, the doors did not open. Scowling, George quickly picked up the business card and pocketed it before it blew away. What the hell was this? Had Malfoy only entered his store to bait him? George was incredibly annoyed at this and raised his hand to beat on the gate…only to have it go right through the metal as if it weren't there.

The annoyed look quickly left George's face as he stepped through the invisible entrance and into the gigantic yard that separated him from the mansion. Immediately, George became aware of everything that was going on around him, suspicious that the bushes might be harboring death eaters. With every sense alert, he quickly walked towards the entrance of the manor.

A sudden rustling sound was coming from the bushes ahead of him. Faster than he knew he could, George ducked behind the closest line of perfectly-trimmed bushes he could find, holding his wand quite tightly so that he could strike whatever was sneaking up on him. George peeked out from the bush and prepared to throw a curse at someone, only to come face to face with the largest albino peacock he had ever seen.

A scream echoed through the air the George vaguely recognized as his own. "Fuck!" He declared quite loudly, annoyed that a harmless land bird made him react like that.

As George got up off the ground, he roughly brushed leaves from the bush off himself and walked with a passion towards the mansion, muttering a few swear words along the way.

Without any further surprises, George made it to the mansion's door, only to have it eerily open slowly for him, revealing a rather dark hallway, littered with several very old wizard portraits. Immediately, they started to whisper amongst themselves and glare at him. George caught a few snippets of their indignant outbursts.

"…ruddy blood traitor! If only I could-"

"-family has lost all propriety, inviting a _Weasley_ to our home-"

"Oh, shove it." George muttered, glaring at the faces around him.

"You shove it Weasley! And don't touch anything!" One of the portraits called after him, "I wouldn't put it past your lot to be stealing our family treasures!"

Growling, George continued down the hallway, but suddenly stopped as he started to feel vibrations in the air. It was power…really strong power. Perhaps stronger than anything George had ever felt before.

"What is that?" George whispered to himself, his emotions rotating quickly from annoyance to wonderment. As he stepped forward again, he felt his skin prickling and his arm hair started to stand on end. After a few more steps, it felt as if the power had penetrated his core—filling his entire being to brim with its invincibility and strength.

George took a deep breath and felt the power enter his lungs, tingling in a mildly pleasant way. Merlin, he felt so good—so strong, so omnipotent. Never had he felt this way before; not even once! "I could do anything…" He whispered to himself, "Anything at all."

He had to have this power for himself.

Closing his eyes, George tried to walk towards the source of the power. He felt flowing in front of him and to his left. His eyes shot open and spied a set of double doors that were ornately carved and polished with a black finish. That was where the power was. George could practically feel its core there, vibrant and solid.

Immediately, George found himself walking towards it, his heart beating faster with every step he took. The power pulsated through his veins as he reached to grab one of the silver door handles. "I could have Fred…" He murmured as his hand eliminated the space between himself and the doorway.

George's hand was mere centimeters away when a large hand reached out and grabbed his wrist in a painfully tight grasp. Suddenly, everything stopped: the prickling, the power, the pumping…it was all gone as fast as it had come. It was replaced by a set of angry eyes and a stern face that could have rivaled Professor Snape's.

"Weasley!" Draco hissed, yanking him away from the door brutally by using as much force as he could muster, "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing? Didn't the portraits tell you not to touch anything?"

"I-I…what?" George finally asked, rather confused and disoriented after the power had suddenly left him alone.

"That doorknob is blood-locked, Weasley. If anyone other than a Malfoy touches it, they will die you fool! I suggest you act with more caution next time!" Draco said with his voice dripping with reproach.

"But…it…" George stuttered, looking quickly between the doors and Malfoy's enraged face several times as if disillusioned. "It was…calling me."

Malfoy immediately rolled his eyes and dropped George's wrist down. "Our library has a bit of a mind that's all its own. It takes pleasure in luring unsuspecting guests to their death. Trust me, many have met their fate in this very corridor, so always precede with caution." He said darkly, staring intensely into George's eyes. "Got that, Weasley?" He snapped, then turned away and strutted down the corridor.

Shakily, George followed him in silence, rather disturbed at his own close-call with death. What was he getting himself into? The Malfoy's mansion seemed to be pulsating with dark magic and a life of its own. What sort of terrible deed was he going to have to do to get Fred back? And as Verity had asked him, would the payoff even be worth the cost?

Immediately, his second thoughts were quelled by memories of Fred laughing at some joke they had come up with and giving him a hearty smack on the back. Fred, he was doing this for Fred…

…and that was all he thought about as he walked down the corridor and came face to face with the most evil wizard in existence.

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Looking down his nose spitefully, Lucius found himself looking upon the spawn of one of the wizards he hated most. The boy appeared rather out of his element though, instead of being vivacious and ludicrous as he was in Lucius' memory. _"Good,"_ he thought to himself as he eyed the broken boy who was staring at the ground warily, _"This will be easier than I thought."_

"Draco," He growled, looking his own son in the eye sternly, "What took so long?"

"Sorry for the delay sir. The library decided to take a turn at him." Draco stated coldly as he looked Lucius in the eye, no longer intimidated by him as he once had been.

"Hmph. Very well," Lucious said acceptingly, "Follow me to my office." He said, turning quickly and stalking down the hall, his black cloak fluttering madly after him.

Indeed, this was almost too easy. The boy's demeanor showed his desperation for Draco's offering to be true. Well, George would find the answer to that in due time. Right now, Lucius had to establish the boy's loyalty and tell him just enough of the truth to make him cooperate.

"This door is blood-locked as well," Lucius said as they came to his private office. "If you ever need me, knock on the door. Do not touch the handle or you will die." He stated calmly as he let them all into the dimly office.

With a flick of his wand, the deep crimson curtains pulled shut, darkening the room completely as the door clicked shut. Quickly, Lucius reached out and taped his desk lamp with his wand and the room was flooded with an eerie red light that Lucius used when trying to scare his guests. The blood-red fire burning inside the twisted glass encasement on his desk seemed to have the desired effect on the boy, as his eyes widened as he stared at Lucius.

Lucius smirked. "Well, well…welcome to Malfoy Mannor, Mr. Weasley. I trust you found us easily enough?" He asked, determined to go ahead with the normal pleasantries before starting in with business.

However, the classless boy couldn't seem to find the strength within himself to answer even the simplest of questions. Lucius was annoyed at this, but forced himself to continue. "I assume that Draco has told you what you could receive in return for our offer."

"Yes," George hissed, suddenly coming to life with eyes that were filled with grief and anger. "But how do I know that you aren't lying?"

"You'll just have to take my word for it, Mr. Weasley. You'd be surprised at the magic you can do when you turn to the darker side of things." He said with a small smirk.

"If you complete the task I have for you loyally, I will give you access to our library and the power it has within. If you truly desire to use black magic, it will cater to your dark side. Beware though, it will deceive any wizard who does not truly desire to use dark magic. In fact, perhaps it would be best if Draco went in with you to look up your books." He said, looking at his son and feeling triumphant. "I'm certain the library would not question his intentions."

"What must I do?" George asked quietly, looking down again. Perhaps he was ashamed of himself for sinking to such a level. This didn't bother Lucius though—he knew he already had the boy wrapped around his finger.

"Ever the blunt one, aren't you Mr. Weasley? I suppose two can play that game." He said, walking behind his desk with an evil smirk covering his visage.

Sitting down in his new leather chair, Lucius put his elbows on his desk and entwined his fingers tightly. "I want to obtain the position of minister of magic and you are going to help me do it."

Immediately, the boy looked confused. "What?" He stuttered, "Why now?"

What a simpleton.

"Power, Mr. Weasley…power." Lucius said sternly, utterly annoyed. "I have always wanted political power, but was unable to produce the necessary time to run for higher office during my time serving the Dark Lord. Now that I've been on trial for serving him, there is no chance that the public will ever consider me for the office unless I redeem myself."

For the first time that day, the boy now looked at him like he was a complete nutter. He even chuckled a bit, despite his situation. "What in the name of Merlin do you propose to do?! I don't think one selfless act is going to atone for years of wrongdoings. The public opinion will not waver." He said sturdily, though still looking rather amused at the thought of redemption.

"You'd be surprised at what people will forgive, Mr. Weasley." Lucius said in a voice that invited the boy to challenge his authority.

"Your very own Mr. Potter, I hear, has even forgiven the monstrous Severus Snape; he is fighting for the right to have his portrait placed in the headmaster's office still, despite his obvious shortcomings." Lucius said with an evil smile. "If there is redemption for one death eater, surely there can be redemption for me as well."

He watched as George now studied the dark floor that was bathed in the red light. Lucius had appealed to him quite easily and now he was certain that the boy was irritated with his plea for morality.

"Perhaps you're right." George finally muttered after a prolonged silence. "It'll take one hell of a feat to accomplish it though."

"Indeed." Lucius answered cunningly, "Something that only I could do to help…something that would make me a hero."

The boy looked up at him expectantly, making the dark lines under his eyes quite visible from Lucius' point of view. However bad his looks, Lucius still met his anticipating eyes as he said what George had been waiting for.

"I need a set-up." He stated, holding George's solemn gaze. "That's where you come in."

"…but…" George started, looking at him oddly, "There isn't an election set up this year for the minister. How do you-"

"We're setting up the current minister, how do you think, boy?!" He growled at the George's idiocy. He had originally thought that Mr. Weasley would be a lot more intelligent than he seemed. Perhaps he wasn't the correct person for the job after all…

However, Lucius quickly pushed the doubts out of his head. No matter how inclined towards good the Gryffindor appeared to be, he was still a Weasley twin and carried a legacy of unstoppable, undetectable pranks that only got better with age.

After reassuring himself, Lucius continued. "Your job will be to put the minister under the imperius curse before his speech on the anniversary of the Dark Lord's demise. Then, you are going to have him swear loyalty to the Dark Lord and perform black magic on the crowd. I am well-known for being proficient in the dark arts and will be the only wizard there capable of stopping the onslaught. Naturally, this will bring me to hero status and from there, obtaining the position will be simple."

George was now gapping at him. "You're going to get Kingsley sent to Azkaban?!" He blurted out awkwardly, all while trying to maintain his composure, though Lucius could tell that the boy was unnerved.

"Would you rather assassinate him?" Lucius retorted sharply, "I think you'll find this alternative quite pleasing in comparison."

"But I've never done black magic before." George protested in a gentler tone, clearly trying not to provoke Lucius more than he already was.

However, this just made Lucius blow up. "Do you or don't you want your brother back?!" He spat out loudly, then started to pace the floor and talk using large gestures with his arms. "I won't hand you the materials for free Weasley—you have to earn them by doing my bidding without messing up. One small slip and I'll be back in Azkaban and I won't have it!" He shouted with a stomp to emphasize his point.

"Make your choice Weasley," He said with a sneer, "I haven't got all day."

George was silent and contemplative for a while, staring down at his red-illuminated desk for a long time. Lucius was content to let him think about it for a while longer, but Draco was not. After standing in the background, flipping through one of the books from his collection, he immediately slammed it shut and approached the boy.

"I thought you had more guts than this Weasley." Draco taunted, slamming the book he was holding down on the desk in front of George. "I would have thought that a Gryffindor like you would be brave enough to try anything in order to get your beloved brother back." He said, circling George like a vulture.

"Or…" He suggested with a malicious look on his face, "Perhaps you don't really want him back at all. I bet a follower like you gets a lot more attention as a single-"

His son didn't get the chance to finish his train of thought though because the boy grabbed him by the collar and smashed him up against the wall, showing off the strength of will that Lucius had been looking for when he had chosen his accomplice.

"Don't you dare talk about Fred that way!" George snarled in a most unappealing manner. Then, as quick as it came, George jerked Draco away from the wall and let him go, only to receive a push from his son, who was rather annoyed at this point. However, George just glared at him and walked over to his previous spot, looking Lucius in the eye with new vigor.

"What happens if I say yes?" He asked, still fuming about what Draco had suggested.

"Oh, it's quite simple. I'll give you directions after you agree. Almost everything is already planned out—all you have to do is follow my directions and you'll make it through this situation quite easily." Lucius replied with a small smirk on his face.

George was caught in his snare.

"And…if I say no?" He asked calmly, without suggesting which route he had in mind.

Lucius snickered. "Well Mr. Weasley…I couldn't just let you go and tell the authorities, now could I? If you say no, I will have Draco practice his oblivation skills on you. Seeing as he's never oblivated a wizard before, I would highly recommend saying yes if you want to maintain your sanity."

Really, the Weasley boy should have known better than to come if he had not planned on being apart of the scheme. Now that he was here, 'no' was not an answer that Lucius was going to settle for.

"Can I hear more details of the plan?" George asked, now looking torn between the two decisions.

"No." Lucius stated bluntly. "I will release the information at the appropriate times after you agree to participate. We have one week to make preparations, which will be plenty of time to accomplish the tasks at hand."

Still, George looked indecisive. "It's now or never Weasley!" Lucius said, walking over to stand a few feet away from him. "Do you want your brother back or not? Take it or leave now—I have work to do."

Lucius held out his left hand as if to shake on the deal. After about a minute of fidgeting and the most intense expression Lucius had ever seen on the boy, his cold hand shot out and grasped his in agreement.

Chuckling lightly, Lucius shook his left hand a few times calmly, then rather unexpectedly squeezed his hand with full force. "Aaah!" George gasped as Lucius twisted his arm so that his palm was upward. This quickly brought George to his knees in pain.

With a quick, practiced motion, Lucius pushed George's sleeve up and placed his wand on his forearm. Instantly, Lucius' eyes met Draco's and his son stepped over and pressed his wand menacingly into the back of George's head so that he wouldn't try to escape.

"Say that you pledge yourself to the Dark Lord's service." Lucius snapped as he looked into defiant eyes. "Honestly Weasley, you didn't expect me to just take your word for your loyalty, did you?"

"Voldemort is dead! What the hell are you-"

Draco smacked George on the side of the head. Hard. Lucius heard the boy's neck crack loudly as he yelped in pain. Draco then grabbed his hair and yanked his face up so that he could look him in the eye.

"Do not ever call him by his name. You will refer to him as the Dark Lord." He said, then pushed the boy's head back down with as much force as was possible.

"Besides…" Draco continued, his glittering eyes meeting Lucius' with a knowing glance, "He might not be as dead as you think he is."

George groaned and leaned towards one side, but not too terribly far, as Lucius was still gripping his arm quite tightly, ready to imbue it with the new dark mark. "Pledge your allegiance to the Dark Lord boy! Now!" He repeated as he kicked George in the stomach, growing wary of his company.

"Well boy, do you need more convincing?" Lucius growled, "Or do I have to perform the cruciatus curse on you to make you want your brother back?"

"…okay." He whispered, sounding rather defeated as he stared at the ground, clutching his stomach desperately with his free hand. "I'll serve the Dark Lord for Fred."

"Good choice." Lucius said with a sneer, then quickly cast a spell and burned the new dark mark into George's arm, causing him to writhe in pain on the floor. The moment he was done, he threw George's arm down to the floor and the boy tumbled down with gritted teeth, holding his newly burnt arm.

"I wouldn't go flashing that around Weasley." Draco leered, "It might get you disowned in your family."

"It is done." Lucius said, grabbing the book Draco had brought over and tossing it on the floor beside George. "Your first directions are to read that book tonight and create a doppelganger of yourself to show up at the ceremony. It will be your alibi, so you had better do a good job of it." He said gruffly.

"For emergencies only, you may touch your mark and summon me." Lucius said, now walking back over and kneeling down before George to look him in the eye.

"And so help me Weasley," He threatened dangerously, "If you leak a word of this to anyone or if you fail to complete your project correctly and get me in trouble, I will kill you and your family. I'm sure the wizarding world would be a lot better without your lot anyhow."

Lucius then stood up and sat down at his desk. "Now get out. I will send Draco to you when it's time for you to learn the curses."

And as expected, George was out of there like a bat out of hell.

Indeed, that was simply too easy.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Running faster than he ever had before, George finally came to a stop in a park a few blocks away. With various parts of his body throbbing with pain, George could not even make it to a deserted park bench a few feet away. Instead, he simply collapsed in a heap behind a few well-pruned bushes and laid there gasping for breath and clutching his burning arm tightly to his chest.

"Oh Merlin…forgive me Fred." He muttered as he did the best he could to hold in the tears that were forming in his eyes. This was biggest mistake he had ever made in his life and he couldn't even think straight because of the throbbing.

How in the hell was he going to make this right?

George had no idea. He seemed to have dug himself into a hole so deep that nobody would be able to get him out of it…and all of this he had achieved in a little over an hour! Now his life was ruined and he had nowhere to turn.

Well, he could always turn to his family, but it would be selfish to put them in danger too when it was he who had created this mess. No, they couldn't find out about this. They would be ashamed of him and the mark he bore. In fact, to them it would have been better if he had let Draco kill him as he stood up for what he had known was right the entire time.

Some Gryffindor he was. George had been so scared and confused that he had just given in. He had been tricked, played for a fool! What a failure he was now… It seemed like he couldn't do anything right without Fred and now he had ruined his life, and for what? Never once had Lucius confirmed that the books in the library would contain the material that he needed!

What if it was all fake…?

No, it couldn't be. George refused to believe that he had done all of that for nothing. With all of his might, George clung to the white light of hope and it was the only thing that made him carry on.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

How was it? Please review and tell me what you think! I'll try and post the next chapter a little sooner than this one. Have a good day!

-P.G.


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